Business Perspective Review
Not a member yet
70 research outputs found
Sort by
Remote Work and Organizational Culture: The Mediating Role of Employee Engagement and the Moderating Role of Communication Technology
Get PDFPurpose: This paper equates the notions of Remote Work (RW) and Organizational Culture (OC) to determine their effect on the performance outcome of employees in the post-pandemic period. It also examines the mediating role of Employee Engagement (EE) in this association and the moderating effect of Communication Technology (CT) on the OCEE relationship.
Method: A quantitative research method was used to collect data via a structured questionnaire administered to employees across different sectors and organizational types. Testing of the hypothesized relationships was conducted using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM), which enabled the exploration of direct, indirect, and moderating effects across the integrated model constructs.
Results: The empirical results demonstrate that OC has a substantial positive impact on employee outcomes, with EE mediating this effect to a considerable degree. The moderation analysis also shows that the beneficial OC, the advanced CT, augments the EE relationship. This data, in turn, underscores the importance of an adequate communication infrastructure for maintaining cultural integrity and promoting involvement in remote work environments.
Implications: The study will provide strategic guidance on designing hybrid work modalities. To prevent engagement attrition and maximize the performance of remote workers, organizations should build a digital-first culture and invest in cohesive communication technologies.
Originality/Value: The study presents a new, holistic theoretical framework that integrates mediation and moderation processes, filling a significant gap in the remote-work literature regarding the systemic role of technology in sustaining organizational culture and supporting engagement
Implications of Brand Awareness on Repeat Purchases in the Refined Palm Oil Sector in Cameroon
Get PDFPurpose: In highly competitive commodity markets like Cameroon’s refined palm oil industry, brand awareness is often assumed to drive customer retention. However, empirical evidence remains inconclusive. This study investigates whether brand awareness significantly influences repeat purchases in such homogeneous markets, addressing a critical gap in the literature while offering practical insights for marketers.
Methods: Using a quantitative cross-sectional design, data were collected via an online survey from 423 consumers, selected through convenience sampling. Brand awareness was measured through recall, image, association, and trust, while repeat purchases were assessed via frequency, loyalty intention, switching resistance, and advocacy. Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression and Maximum Likelihood Structural Equation Modeling (ML-SEM) were employed to analyze the relationships, controlling for demographic variables like age, income, and education.
Results: The study reveals a strong positive relationship (β = 0.649, p < 0.001) between brand awareness and repeat purchases, with brand association and image emerging as the most influential drivers. Price sensitivity also significantly impacted repeat purchase behavior, while demographic factors showed negligible effects.
Implications: The findings validate the role of brand awareness in commoditized markets, suggesting that marketers should prioritize cognitive brand awareness, particularly through consistent messaging and trust-building, despite product homogeneity. Policymakers can leverage these insights to support local brands through quality certifications and consumer education.
Limitations: The cross-sectional design limits causal inferences, and convenience sampling may affect generalizability. Future longitudinal or experimental studies could strengthen these findings
In-Store Social Cues and Impulse Purchasing Behavior at Supermarkets: The Moderating Effects of Customer Demographics
Get PDFPurpose: This study aims to evaluate the association between impulse buying behavior and in-store social cues (salespeople, presence of other customers, and in-store events) at supermarkets in Yaoundé, Cameroon. The moderating influences of gender and age on this association are also examined.
Methods: Based on Leon Festinger\u27s social comparison theory (1954), the study used a quantitative design and a model comprising three exogenous factors, two moderating variables, and one endogenous variable to direct the investigation. A total of 429 customers from four selected supermarkets participated in the surveys, which were conducted both in-person and online. Indexes for product placement, signage, point-of-sale displays, and store layouts were created using multiple correspondence analyses. The study\u27s hypotheses were tested using the ordinary least squares estimation approach. By combining the two moderating variables with the elements of in-store design cues, the moderating effects of age and gender were examined.
Results: The findings revealed that the behavior of sales associates and the presence of other shoppers significantly stimulated impulse buying in Yaoundé supermarkets, consistent with established theories and empirical studies. While in-store events showed a negative and insignificant effect, this suggests context-specific factors may influence their effectiveness. Gender did not significantly moderate these relationships, but age played a crucial role, with older customers being more responsive to environmental and social cues. The overall significant influence of social cues suggests that shoppers perceived the in-store social elements as both exciting and appealing.
Implications: These findings underscore the importance of retail strategies that harness social influence, tailored to demographic variations. Cameroonian supermarkets should prioritize empowering and training their sales staff to ensure a positive customer experience. Creating a friendly and engaging environment through strategic staff placement and in-store activities can boost impulsive buying. Understanding customer interactions can also improve advertising and store design. Continuous monitoring of staff performance and customer feedback is crucial for optimizing these strategies.
Does the Use of Social Media Improve Academic Performance? A Study on University Graduates in a Developing Country
Get PDFPurpose: The current research examines the impact of various factors, including learning engagement, psychological effects, social interaction, and changes in behavioral patterns by using social media at the tertiary level, on university students\u27 academic performance.
Methods: A total of 389 students completed structured questionnaires assessing their behaviors and attitudes that impact their academic performance. Quantitative data analysis included reliability analysis and regression models to assess the magnitude of factors related to social media and their impact on key educational outcomes.
Findings: Academic performance is highly contingent on learning engagement, social interaction, and changes in behavioral patterns. However, the impact of psychological effects on academic results is negligible. The results suggest that social media holds promise as an auxiliary support for educational engagement when integrated thoughtfully within academic environments.
Implications: This study contributes to the limited body of evidence quantifying the direct educational impact of social media among Bangladeshi university students. Institutions that consider social media a learning tool should develop clear guidelines to maximize potential benefits, such as collaboration and the sharing of educational resources, while mitigating risks, including distraction and overuse
Exploring the Virtual Reality in Tourism Marketing for Improving Efficiency and Better Consumer Experience
Get PDFPurpose: This study examines the transformative potential of Virtual Reality (VR) in tourism marketing, emphasizing its role in enhancing efficiency and sustainability. It aims to bridge the gap between theoretical advancements and practical applications of VR in tourism.
Methods: A PRISMA-based systematic literature review was conducted, analyzing studies from 2021 onwards. The study explores various VR applications in tourism marketing, such as dynamic pricing, customer segmentation, and real-time personalization, while addressing challenges like data privacy and algorithmic bias.
Results and Discussion: Findings indicate that VR enhances consumer engagement, improves travel decision-making, and fosters immersive destination branding. VR-driven marketing strategies, including virtual tours, interactive campaigns, and personalized experiences, have significantly influenced consumer behavior and increased booking conversion rates. However, challenges remain, such as accessibility barriers, high implementation costs, and potential discrepancies between virtual and real-world experiences.
Implications: VR presents a strategic advantage for tourism marketers by offering immersive previews, enhancing customer trust, and supporting sustainability initiatives. Policymakers and industry leaders must address infrastructure and ethical concerns to maximize VR’s potential.
Originality: This study provides a comprehensive overview of VR’s role in tourism marketing, integrating insights into its technological applications and market impact, which remain underexplored in current literature
Does Corporate Governance Influence Auditor Choice in an Emerging Economy? An Empirical Evidence
Get PDFPurpose: This study examines how corporate governance mechanisms influence the selection of Big 4 auditors, with a particular focus on the moderating role of ownership structure. Specifically, it compares family and non-family firms to determine whether governance characteristics affect auditor choice differently across these two types of firms.
Method: Using panel data from 109 manufacturing firms listed on the Dhaka Stock Exchange between 2013 and 2019 (681 firm-year observations), the study employs logistic regression analysis to investigate the determinants of Big4 auditor selection.
Result: The findings reveal that board size is positively associated with the likelihood of engaging a Big4 auditor. In contrast, the frequency of board meetings shows a consistent negative association across both family and non-family firms. Sub-sample analyses reveal that in non-family firms, board size, audit committee size, and audit committee meeting frequency are positively associated with the choice of a Big 4 auditor. In contrast, for family firms, board gender diversity has a positive effect, whereas audit committee size and meeting frequency are negatively associated with the likelihood of selecting a Big 4 auditor.
Implications: These results suggest that ownership structure significantly moderates the relationship between governance variables and auditor choice. The study provides novel evidence from an emerging economy, offering insights for policymakers, regulators, and corporate stakeholders aiming to enhance audit quality and corporate transparency through tailored governance reforms
Firm-Level and Macroeconomic Influences on the Profitability of Textile Industries in Bangladesh: A Panel Data Approach
Get PDFPurpose: The objective of this research is to investigate the firm-specific and macroeconomic factors that influence the profitability of textile industries in Bangladesh.
Methods: In this study, the financial statements of thirty-eight textile firms from 2017 to 2023 were examined. The websites of the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, and the Bangladesh Bank were utilized to gather macroeconomic statistics. The panel data were analyzed using a random-effect regression model.
Results: The results show that firm-specific characteristics such as liquidity, managerial efficiency, capital intensity, and earnings after tax (EAT)as a ratio of total assets improve the ROA of textile industries in Bangladesh. However, firm-specific characteristics such as firm size have a detrimental influence on the profitability of Bangladesh\u27s textile industry. Additionally, macroeconomic variables such as real interest rates have a substantial impact on the ROA of Bangladesh\u27s textile sector. Additionally, the study found that firm age, board size, GDP growth rate, and exchange rate had no significant impact on the profitability of textile firms in Bangladesh.
Implications: The study makes a valuable contribution to understanding the issues affecting the profitability of textile industries in Bangladesh and offers insights into measures that can be taken to enhance their financial performance.
Originality: This study is novel in its integration of firm-level and macroeconomic factors to evaluate profitability in Bangladesh\u27s textile sector, utilizing recent panel data (2017–2023). It provides a comprehensive perspective through random-effects regression and emphasizes previously under-examined variables, such as the EAT ratio and real interest rates
The Effect of Celebrity Endorsement on Consumer Brand Loyalty: A Study on Telecommunication and Brewery Industries, Bamenda, Cameroon
Get PDFPurpose: This study seeks to investigate the relationship between celebrity endorsement (celebrity similarity, celebrity attractiveness, and celebrity popularity) and brand loyalty in the city of Bamenda, Cameroon. It also examined the comparative analysis between the telecommunication and brewery industries in Bamenda, Cameroon.
Method: This study employed a quantitative research design, incorporating surveys and causal research approaches. A total of 450 questionnaires were administered for each industry, including subscribers of telecommunication companies and consumers of brewery products in Bamenda, both in-person and online. 429 questionnaires were retained for telecommunication companies and 424 for brewery products. The multiple correspondence analysis was used to construct indices of celebrity endorsement and brand loyalty. The ordinary least squares (OLS) were used to test hypotheses.
Results: Data analysis indicates that all three indicators of celebrity endorsement have a significant positive effect on consumer brand loyalty. Results for both the telecommunication and brewery industries are statistically significant at the 1% level. However, the impact of celebrity endorsement on consumer brand loyalty is significantly more pronounced in the telecommunications sector than in the brewery sector. The study concluded that enhancing celebrity endorsement features will substantially increase brand loyalty among consumers.
Implications: This study has significant practical and theoretical implications for consumer behavior in developing countries, particularly Cameroon
Enhancing Consumer Purchases through Store Design: Does Atmospheric Alchemy Matter?
Get PDFPurpose: This study explores the impact of store atmospherics—specifically music, aroma, lighting & color, and texture & feel—on consumer purchasing decisions in the shop setting. It aims to determine which sensory elements most significantly influence buying behavior, thereby guiding businesses in designing more effective in-store environments.
Methods: The study employed SmartPLS 3.2.3 and Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) to conduct a two-step analysis process. First, the measurement model was checked to ensure the reliability and validity of the constructs. Then, the structural model was evaluated to test the hypothesized relationships among the variables. To conduct the survey, a self-administered questionnaire was distributed among the customers. A total of 350 responses were obtained from participants selected using convenience sampling.
Results: All four atmospheric variables were found to have a statistically significant influence on purchasing decisions. Lighting and color emerged as the strongest predictors (β = 0.404, p < 0.001), followed by texture and feel (β = 0.341, p < 0.001), music (β = 0.140, p = 0.021), and aroma (β = 0.111, p = 0.037).
Implications: The findings highlight the strategic value of sensory design in retail environments. Retailers and marketers can leverage these insights to craft immersive in-store experiences that enhance customer engagement and drive sales.
Originality: This research contributes to the limited empirical literature on sensory marketing in developing countries, particularly by quantifying the comparative effects of different atmospheric cues in a single model.
Limitations: The study is limited by its focus on only four sensory dimensions and a relatively small sample size, which may constrain the generalizability of the findings. Future research should consider broader sensory inputs and a more diverse consumer population
An Empirical Insight into the Influence of the Names of Bars on Their Growth and Development in Bamenda III, Cameroon
Get PDFPurpose: The purpose of this study is to investigate the influence of business name on the growth and development of bars in Bamenda III.
Methods: Data for this study were obtained with the help of a structured questionnaire from 140 respondents randomly selected. The data were analyzed in SPSS 20 and in Stata 14, employing both descriptive and inferential statistics.
Results: Ordinary least squares results indicate that the name score, access to business financing, the size of the management team, and the legal status of the business are positively associated with the growth and development of Bars in Bamenda III.
Implications: From a policy perspective, choose a name that is memorable, unique, and easy to pronounce, consider the target market when choosing a name, as this can affect customer perception and behavior, choose a name that aligns with the brand image and values of the business, conduct market research to determine the effectiveness of the desired name before implementing it and continuously monitor customer feedback and adjust the business name if necessary.
Originality: This study is original in that it explores the relationship between business names and the success of bars in Bamenda III. While there have been studies on the impact of branding on business success, there has been limited research specifically focused on the effect of business names on bars in Bamenda III.
Limitations: One potential limitation of this study is the risk of sampling bias, as the sample will consist only of bar owners and customers in Bamenda III. Additionally, the study may be limited by the subjective nature of the data, as perceptions of success and the impact of business names may vary among individuals.